This is the unofficial blog of the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law.
We study the law of food and agriculture from farm to fork, from the perspective of the farmer, the retailer, and the consumer.
Concern about the safety and sustainability of the global food system makes agricultural and food law studies one of the most vibrant areas of legal practice and policy analysis.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Each year, we are pleased to welcome Professor Neil Hamilton as our first visiting professor, teaching our orientation course in the LL.M. Program, An Introduction to the Law of Food and Agriculture. He will be with us Thursday-Saturday this week, ending his visit with a trip to the Fayetteville Farmers Market.

Professor Hamilton is a long-time friend and colleague, and he was instrumental in the founding of our LL.M. Program, serving as one of our first professors in 1981. He is now the the Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law at the Drake University School of Law and the Director of the Drake Agricultural Law Center. He is recognized as one of the nation's most respected agricultural law scholars, with particular expertise in sustainable agriculture and the local food movement. The readings for the class include his latest article, Moving Toward Food Democracy: Better Food, New Farmers, and the Myth of Feeding the World appears at 16 Drake J. Agric. L. 117 (2011).

Saturday, August 20, 2011

We are delighted to welcome our new class of LL.M. candidates. This year, they again come from diverse backgrounds and locations, united by their interest in the laws and policies that affect agricultural production and our overall food system. Members of the LL.M. Class of 2012 have law degrees from the University of Minnesota, the University of North Carolina, Drake University, the University of Kentucky, the University of North Carolina Central, Texas Tech University, Golden Gate University, the University of Arkansas, Belarusian State University, and the University of Malawi. They come from Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina, Washington, Belarus, and Malawi. And, they include two law professors, a couple of experienced attorneys, and some very impressive recent law graduates.

Here are short bios of the class - I am sure everyone will agree that we will have a great year working with them! Watch future posts for photos.

J. Grant Ballard
B.S., cum laude, University of Arkansas (Agribusiness, Environmental Science minor)
J.D., University of Arkansas School of Law
Member, Journal of Food Law & Policy; Recipient of 2010 Pro Bono Service Award
Professional experience includes: Clerkship with Taylor Law Partners LLP, Fayetteville

Vade Donaldson
B.A., Seattle University (Literature)
J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law
Public Interest Law Scholar; Public Interest Specialty Certification; Dean’s Service Award
Professional experience includes: Public Defender, Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons, Seattle, WA; Attorney I, Suquamish Tribe; Attorney, Snohomish County Public Defender Association
Admitted to practice law in Washington State and before the Suquamish Tribe

Martha Dragich
B.A., University of Minnesota (Linguistics)
M.A., University of Minnesota (Library Science)
J.D., University of Minnesota Law School
Serving as the James S. Rollins Professor of Law at University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law and joining the class as an LL.M. Candidate and Visiting Scholar
Recent publications include: Uniformity, Inferiority, and the Law of the Circuit Doctrine, 56 Loyola L. Rev. 535 (2010).

Cathy Franck
B.A., Brown University (English)
J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law
Professional experience includes: Agricultural & Food Law Policy Researcher; Licensed Realtor, Kentucky Select Properties; Public Relations/Marketing Director, Humana Inc.
Recent Presentations: Food & Agriculture: The Law and Policy of a Sustainable Food System; Environmental Law for Lending Institutions and Real Estate Transactions
Admitted to practice law in Kentucky

Mirriam Kutha (Kalowa)
LL.B., with Honors, Upper Second Class, University of Malawi
Professional experience includes: Assistant Lecturer in Law, University of Malawi; Senior Resident Magistrate, Malawi; Internships include work with the Malawi Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Justice (Legal Aid Dept.)
Dissertation: The Effects of the Proposed Amendments to Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code in Relation to Sexual Offenses
President, Women’s Lawyers Association of Malawi

Volha Samasiuk
Diploma in Law, Belarusian State University (Specialization in Economic Law)
Doctor of Philosophy in Law, Belarusian State University
Professional experience includes: Senior Lecturer, Belarusian State University Law Department, Minsk, Belarus (Civil Law, Intellectual Property Law); Legal Consultant, Belarus Food Safety Improvement Project, International Finance Corporation, The World Bank Group; Legal Editor and Member of the Editorial Board, JurSpectr LLC, Minsk, Belarus; Visiting Scholar, University of Washington School of Law; Curriculum Research Fellow, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

S. Chris Saunders
B.S., North Carolina State University (Chemical Engineering)
B.S., North Carolina State University (English) (Ben Franklin Scholars Dual Degree Program)
J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law
Co-authored presentation at 2010 American Agricultural Law Association Symposium, Solar Energy: Is It Really A Bright Idea for Farmers? (with Ray Starling, General Counsel, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
Professional experience includes: Legal Internship, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services; Legal Internship, Currituck County Attorney’s Office; Legal Intern, Intellectual Property/Technology Law

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The LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law

The LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law is the first and only LL.M. program in the United States specializing in the law of food and agriculture. Our unique curriculum attracts candidates from throughout the United States and the world. At last count, our alumni came from 35 different states and 18 foreign countries. Our alumni proudly serve as leaders in private practice, government, industry, public policy, advocacy, and academia.

Agricultural & Food Law

Agricultural Law includes the network of special laws that apply to the production, marketing, and sale of the food we eat. It provides the fundamental framework for our food system.

Food law intersects with agricultural law and includes all of the law and policy issues that affect our food - in areas such as its quality, quantity, availability. It includes the regulation of food labeling and food safety, and it also includes domestic and international food assistance programs, health and nutrition issues, food justice, and even the issue of food waste and recovery.

As more consumers seek to learn about where their food comes from and how it is produced, there has been a greater demand for an integrated study of the law of food and agriculture. We are uniquely prepared to meet this demand.

We study the full spectrum of agricultural and food law from the perspective of the farmer, the processor, the retailer, and the consumer, all with the overlay of concerns for sustainability.